All Saint’s (Fans) Day - When the Saints Go Marching In(to the Super Bowl!) (short story) by Keith John Paul Horcasitas42on AuthorsDen

All Saint’s (Fans) Day - When the Saints Go Marching In(to the Super Bowl!)
By Keith John Paul Horcasitas

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All Saints Day coincides with the New Orleans Saints Football Team's Great Success so far this year. On All Saints Day, Catholics and many denominations give recognition to loved ones who have died.

All Saint’s (Fans) Day - When the Saints Go Marching In(to the Super Bowl!)!

As we all celebrate All Saints (Fans!) Day again this year on the day after Halloween ("All Hallow's Eve") and before All Soul's Day, I can't help but think (and pray!) that this may finally be the year that the NO Saints can punch it into the Super Bowl! As any other 'Yat from New Orleans or fans of all stripes will say, we are tired of the same old line, "Maybe next year!"

Through all those losing and heartbreaking years, we've all cheered them Saints with songs and chants like "When the Saints Go Marching In," Who Dat Say They Gonna Beat them Saints," Cha-Ching-Batta-Bing," etc. Some of the colorful NO sports personalities like both the late Hap Glaudi and the late Buddy Dileberto, with their unique 'Yat dialects, long had derided what us faithful NO Saints fans have had to endure all these years.

As most other Catholics will do today, we will certainly pay respect to our loved ones who have left this world. Some of us will go to bring flowers to family grave sites while others may also recognize them by a multitude of other special tributes. For us NO Saints fans, maybe we could organize a Jazz Funeral for all of those losing and heartache years and start a Novena to get us through the next 9 games - Super Bowl included!

I grew up on Broadway Street in New Orleans about 6 blocks from Tulane Stadium where the Saints first played before the Superdome. As a kid, it was fun to park cars for the game and make about $ 2 for regular games and $ 5 for Sugar Bowls or Super Bowls. I would go up and down the street and made deals with neighbors to give half the parking take-in if they would allow me to use their driveways.

One heartache experience with the NO Saints that I recall was when Drew, my buddy, and I went to a game in the 70s. Like most kids, we got disinterested in the game as the Saints got behind by about two touchdowns in the 3rd Quarter, so we headed home in the beginning of the Fourth Quarter to be sure to help the usually early returning fans to get their cars and out of the driveways in an orderly manner.

As we were leaving the stadium, we couldn't help but notice the contrast in the fans we passed - such as the "Moses" types of other devoted Saints fans and the "Bag Head 'Aint" ones who became famous on tv for their wares! Archie Manning, Billy Kilmer, Danny Abramowicz and many other stars did their best to put more "W's" in the standing's column instead of all those "L's" we had during those years!

So after Drew and I were heading back home and just meeting with other friends and lamenting about the miserable play of "Aints," we all of a sudden heard this roar sound coming from the Stadium! Little did we know that we had walked out on the famous Tom Dempsey 63 yard field goal that propelled them to a 19 - 17 win over the Detroit Lions on November 8, 1970! What a bummer! I can at least say I was there at the game - just not at the most important point!

As I write this, the Miracle Saints have just been great "Come Back Kids" as they fought back from losing 24 - 3 to win the game against the Miami Dolphins 46 - 34! Ricky Williams, who was a formerly a running back with the Saints per Coach Mike Ditka, did his best to beat us. Many of us can fondly remember when Williams was first drafted by Ditka to the Saints - and they had a Sports Illustrated Cover picture of Ditka "marrying" a girly looking Williams!

So as we celebrate All Saints Day, let's hope we can keep the undefeated season (6 -0) going with a win against the rival Atlanta ("Dirty Birds") Falcons tomorrow on All Soul's Monday Night Football! I pray through the intercessions of all the Holy Communion of Saints that this may be the year.

My wife always said that when Pope John Paul came for a visit to NO in 1987, including a large Youth gathering at the Superdome, he helped bless the "Black and Gold" team - they had a great season then (Record: 12-3-0, Finished 2nd in NFC West Division)!

Keith John Paul Horcasitas, LCSW, MHA, 1133 Knollhaven Drive, BRLA 70810, khorcasitas@yahoo.com , October 25, 2009.

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